Eduard Huma
The following is a list of some of this year’s SEMA Show as well as some of the most crazy and coolest vehicles on the road. Of all the builds I’ve come across, there is one that stood out for me and this is the 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, also known as “Notorious” since it was built by SpeedKore. A NASCAR engine delivering almost 900 horsepower makes this classic Mopar muscle car a wicked machine and a show stopper that can deliver performance unlike any other on the show floor.
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It also does not deviate too much from the stock in terms of exterior styling.
Although the powerplant is highly tuned, Notorious has not strayed far from the traditional body shape of the 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda The black-bodied Barracuda sits low on broad rims and with a hint of the coke-bottle waistline, looks every bit the muscle car of 50 years ago.
Apart from the menacing large hood scoop, the only indications of the beast living under the hood are the side exhaust pipes at the front of the rear wheels. Other than those, the bodywork and brightwork are as standard as can be seen on other vehicles of its category. This makes the Barracuda maintain its roots as an old-school muscle car instead of coming out as a full-fledged race car.
That Massive NASCAR Powerplant
When you lift the hood of the Notorious Barracuda, though, it becomes clear that even the stock engine has been fully built and cannot be mistaken for a factory setup. In between the fenders lies a growling 358 cubic-inch Ray Barton Racing Engines NASCAR V8 motor that produces a stunning 880 horsepower.
The engine has high-compression pistons; We further have aggressive roller camshafts, and the carburetors are immense 850 cfm. At full song, this powerplant must be as loud as a swarm of enraged hornets magnified by a loudspeaker. I really wonder how they have to endure the loud sounds when the driver goes on the accelerator.
My head could easily turn back from the forces pulling me back if I were in the front seat!
Beefed-Up Drivetrain Components
To tap into the Earth-shattering power from that competition engine, the Barracuda has been fitted with heavy-duty components in the drivetrain department suited to the professional race car. For power transfer, a Jerico 4-speed manual transmission transmits torque back through a custom driveshaft to a Ford 9-inch rear end equipped with a Truetrac limited-slip differential and 40-spline axles from Strange Engineering.
Mickey Thompson drag slicks measuring 15 inches in width are used to grip the tarmac so as to transfer all this rampant horsepower to the blacktop. The car’s new owner had better have the lead foot if it ever intends to really push Notorious to its maximum potential. This old B-body will take some serious ‘demonstrations’ to really bring out the car’s inherent character.
The Interior Stays Old-School
In the nine-berth time capsule cabin, Notorious has no attempt at modernizing anything and has restricted most options to what would have been obtainable in the 1960s. A traditional pair of bucket seats (with headrests to ensure maximum comfort and safety) are available to park one’s fanny. The factory dash contains basic analog gauges used to measure the condition of the engine while an extra display controls the car’s timing and ignition.
In the spirit of Hurst, a pistol-grip shifter comes out of the transmission hump like the love child of a rebellious muscle car and a drag racer. The door panels and the carpeting look like they come out of 1970 and the whole environment looks like it has been preserved very well.
The interior is also very raw; the dashboard and the layout of the car are raw and primal, which suits the brutal force of the car.
Conclusion
This is the Notorious 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, a combination of vintage muscle and advanced technology packed into one sleek machine that every car enthusiast would die to own. The manner in which SpeedKore preserved the distinctive features of the ‘Cuda, known as a stylish muscle car, while at the same time stashing that gorgeous NASCAR engine under the hood speaks volumes about the company’s creative spirit and its reverence for this Mopar icon.
This is one SEMA build, and when I saw it, I got those exciting tingles up my spine kind of feeling. Notorious is angry, crude, and honestly wicked to the very core!
1970 Plymouth Baracuda “Notorious” – Videos
1970 Plymouth Baracuda “Notorious” – Media Gallery
